Decision time....go/no go

This is a true story, and it happened so long ago the statute of
limitations has to be protection.

I was in the takeoff run for my Instrument Rating -- a 172 sometime in
the 60s, and the damned airspeed needle wouldn't come off the stop. I
chopped the power, the examiner asked what was wrong, and I pointed to
the airspeed indicating zero while we were at maybe 30 kts. It was on a
5000 foot runway as I remember. He said "Go anyway." I think I won my
rating when I pulled back the throttle.

Anyhow, I had some real partial panel flying that day, and can tell you
the Cessna 172 is a real forgiving airplane!

I don't recall ever returning after taxiing out for weather reasons,
but must have a dozen times for equipment problems. NAV not testing
right, carb heat cable breaking -- it's not supposted to come out a
foot! -- bad radio, too rough on one mag, etc. Nearly all of those were
on rental airplanes, that means within my first 300 or so hours.
Problems like that went way down when I began flying my own airplane.

Tony wrote:
I've taxied back from run up more than once: if it ain't right, don't
do it!


I did it once with a FAA inspector in the back seat (Citabria) :-)

--Sylvain

I have cancelled due to a broken alternator wire (no charging), and
several times due to weather that seemed ok when I drove to the
airport but looked unacceptable after I started the engine.

I have returned home due to higher than expected winds aloft and
impact to a tight schedule.

This morning I cut short an instrument course lesson due to less than
optimal physical condition.

Bottom line: I can end or not start any flight for any reason. I did
not see the original thread but if others are inconvenienced so be it.
I fly safe.

Ron Lee

Geeezzz....22,000 years? I meant hours of flight time of course!! Been
some long days lately with 8-12 hours in the cockpit not uncommon.
tired but trying to take safety naps when I can.
Ol Shy & Bashful

Fred
Kind of a funny story about a job interview years ago....I had been
flying a Beech Queen air in So america and was back int he states
looking for a seat. A broker put me in touch with a guy who had just
bought a B-80 from him and told him I was available with lots of
experience. So, I went to the interview all dressed up and looking
proper like a pro corporate pilot should. The company owner is from
Texas and sounds like it but he will fool ya with that clod kicking
facade...he is an engineering grad from Rice!! So anyway, he says they
bought the airplane with all the state of the art equipment (1975) and
he said they did it so they could fly in any kind of weather. I
patiently listened to him, then said while its nice to have all that
gear, at times the weather simply will overpower either the aircraft,
or the pilot and there is a time when you say NO to a flight. He said,
"Wait a minute...I just told you we have all the airline equipment,
deice boots, hot props,...etc, etc and we need to go when we have an
emergency." By this time I didn't like his attitude and got up to
leave. He asked what I was doing and I told him I didn't want to work
with or for someone who would push the weather or override the PIC
decisions. I was getting a llittle bit hot about it. Then he says,
"Wait please. I did that for a reason. We have a young pilot who lets
himself get shoved into bad calls and we don't want that happening with
this new airplane. I wanted to see if you could say NO and stick to
it."
Well, I got hired and flew with him for a couple years until they sold
the airplane during a business downturn. We have remained good friends
all these years and he has his license now. He isn't afraid to tell
people what he learned by watching and listening to me.
BTW, the young pilot was let go after he was busted flying down the
interstate at tree top level in southern Colorado. Then I saw his name
in the paper some 15 years later as the pilot in a Queen Air (his own)
that had crashed near Lake Tahoe in bad weather and killed 6 people.
There is a lesson to be learned there.....
Ol Shy & Bashful

In article .com,
wrote:

Fred
Kind of a funny story about a job interview years ago....I had been
flying a Beech Queen air in So america and was back int he states
looking for a seat. A broker put me in touch with a guy who had just
bought a B-80 from him and told him I was available with lots of
experience. So, I went to the interview all dressed up and looking
proper like a pro corporate pilot should. The company owner is from
Texas and sounds like it but he will fool ya with that clod kicking
facade...he is an engineering grad from Rice!! So anyway, he says they
bought the airplane with all the state of the art equipment (1975) and
he said they did it so they could fly in any kind of weather. I
patiently listened to him, then said while its nice to have all that
gear, at times the weather simply will overpower either the aircraft,
or the pilot and there is a time when you say NO to a flight. He said,
"Wait a minute...I just told you we have all the airline equipment,
deice boots, hot props,...etc, etc and we need to go when we have an
emergency." By this time I didn't like his attitude and got up to
leave. He asked what I was doing and I told him I didn't want to work
with or for someone who would push the weather or override the PIC
decisions. I was getting a llittle bit hot about it. Then he says,
"Wait please. I did that for a reason. We have a young pilot who lets
himself get shoved into bad calls and we don't want that happening with
this new airplane. I wanted to see if you could say NO and stick to
it."
Well, I got hired and flew with him for a couple years until they sold
the airplane during a business downturn. We have remained good friends
all these years and he has his license now. He isn't afraid to tell
people what he learned by watching and listening to me.
BTW, the young pilot was let go after he was busted flying down the
interstate at tree top level in southern Colorado. Then I saw his name
in the paper some 15 years later as the pilot in a Queen Air (his own)
that had crashed near Lake Tahoe in bad weather and killed 6 people.
There is a lesson to be learned there.....
Ol Shy & Bashful


That pilot wasn't a celebrity in the Warbird circuit, was he?

--
Remove _'s from email address to talk to me.

Thanks for the story. The folks I work for presently (non aviation) are the
same way. The push an employee until the employee either stands up to them,
or quits....they like the ones that stand up to them. Kind of a strange way
to handle things in our particular industry, but I like that guys style in
yours.

Fred

wrote in message
oups.com...
Fred
Kind of a funny story about a job interview years ago....I had been
flying a Beech Queen air in So america and was back int he states
looking for a seat. A broker put me in touch with a guy who had just
bought a B-80 from him and told him I was available with lots of
experience. So, I went to the interview all dressed up and looking
proper like a pro corporate pilot should. The company owner is from
Texas and sounds like it but he will fool ya with that clod kicking
facade...he is an engineering grad from Rice!! So anyway, he says they
bought the airplane with all the state of the art equipment (1975) and
he said they did it so they could fly in any kind of weather. I
patiently listened to him, then said while its nice to have all that
gear, at times the weather simply will overpower either the aircraft,
or the pilot and there is a time when you say NO to a flight. He said,
"Wait a minute...I just told you we have all the airline equipment,
deice boots, hot props,...etc, etc and we need to go when we have an
emergency." By this time I didn't like his attitude and got up to
leave. He asked what I was doing and I told him I didn't want to work
with or for someone who would push the weather or override the PIC
decisions. I was getting a llittle bit hot about it. Then he says,
"Wait please. I did that for a reason. We have a young pilot who lets
himself get shoved into bad calls and we don't want that happening with
this new airplane. I wanted to see if you could say NO and stick to
it."
Well, I got hired and flew with him for a couple years until they sold
the airplane during a business downturn. We have remained good friends
all these years and he has his license now. He isn't afraid to tell
people what he learned by watching and listening to me.
BTW, the young pilot was let go after he was busted flying down the
interstate at tree top level in southern Colorado. Then I saw his name
in the paper some 15 years later as the pilot in a Queen Air (his own)
that had crashed near Lake Tahoe in bad weather and killed 6 people.
There is a lesson to be learned there.....
Ol Shy & Bashful

No...his family was well to do and in construction in the Sacto area.